150602-N-MK341-008 REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI (June 2, 2015)

150602-N-MK341-008 REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI (June 2, 2015) – The president of the Republic of Kiribati His Excellency Anote Tong (left) and Capt. James Meyer, Commodore, Task Force Forager (right), pause for a photo during an opening ceremony to celebrate the arrival of Joint High Speed Vessel USNS Millinocket’s (JHSV 3) to the Republic of Kiribati June 2. Millinocket is serving as the secondary platform for Pacific Partnership, led by an expeditionary command element from the Navy’s 30th Naval Construction Regiment (30 NCR) from Port Hueneme, Calif. Now in its 10th iteration, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. While training for crisis conditions, Pacific Partnership missions have provided medical care to approximately 270,000 patients and veterinary services to more than 38,000 animals. Additionally, PP15 has provided critical infrastructure development to host nations through the completion of more than 180 engineering projects. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Carla Burdt/Released)